Mute Longing
by Snooze Button
Summary: A new girl arrives at Hollywood Arts with a flair for dancing and... not so much for singing and acting. The awkward, shy Laurel finds security in another boy who lacks it - Robbie. Sparks fly backstage in a school musical. RobbieOC
1. Chapter 1

She stood in front of Hollywood Arts like a baby squirrel stands in the middle of the highway - scared, nervous, tiny, insignificant, squeaky, with a craving for almonds. The building towered over her, it's modern catwalks and neon colors feeling much too loud for a girl like her.

She did what her mom always told her when faced with a scary situation. She closed her eyes, not brushing her hair away when her dark fringe swooped over them, and sucked in as much air as her lungs could hold. She froze for a second of preparation and then dove in, swinging open the glass doors and throwing herself into the building without giving herself a chance to turn back.

She opened her eyes, twitched her hair out of the way and took in the scene without releasing her breath. The Rainbow of color outside the building was nothing to the kaleidescope inside. It was unlike any school she'd ever seen, in real life or on TV. Each locker lining the walls of the wide hallway had its own unique flair. Some had crazy patterns or colors, or funky gimmicks like a keyboard door. Like and vibrancy just seemed to explode into the hallway, and it was beautiful - but a little overpowering. She breathed, walking cautiously into the middle of the empty hallway.

Her name was Laurel, and she was sure coming to Hollywood Arts was a bad, bad idea.

Classes wouldn't start for twenty minutes, which gave her time to try and find the attendance office in this crazy fun house. Cautiously, like a student driver, she explored the graffitied halls.

It was hard not to be transfixed by the pictures on the wall. Despite the sudden barrage of color upon entering the the hall, the murals and originality and pop had a lively beat about it. The place was just so full of _life_ - Laurel wandered and just tried to take in the scene, finally relaxing, when, distracted, she almost walked right into a young African American man.

She jumped and squeaked (rather embarrassingly) and the man steadied her, catching her elbow. His hands were moist, for some reason.

"Whoops, sorry - are you okay?" he said, stepping back a little. Laurel nodded.

"Sorry..." she mumbled, so quietly he probably couldn't hear her. The man looked at her and cocked his head.

"Wait a minute, I don't recognize you." Then it dawned on him. "Oh! You're the new student. Laurel Ringer?"

Laurel nodded again, and smiled awkwardly. Best to start off with a friendly impression.

"I'm the guidance counselor here," the man continued. He extended his hand. "Lane Moorefield."

Laurel took his hand and shook it tentatively. Still very moist. She tried not too make a face. Lane however, did make one. It was kind of sympathetic with mild revulsion. He took his hand back slowly, paused, and then rummaged through his pocket.

"Your skin's so dry," Lane muttered, and withdrew a travel-sized bottle of lotion. He held the nozzle in front of Laurel, and she confusedly held out her hands. Lane dropped a dollop of lotion in her hand, and when she just looked up at him, bewildered, he motioned for her to rub it in. She obliged hesitantly.

"Do you need help finding the attendance office?" Lane asked helpfully as Laurel spread the lotion, feeling like she was having a bizarre dream. She nodded, trying to wring her hands dry. "Well, follow me, then."

He turned on his heel and headed down the hall, and Laurel walked numbly after him. If first impressions are any indication, Hollywood Arts was a very offbeat place.

* * *

><p>Laurel emerged from the office with a map of the school clutched nervously in her hands. She tried to hide her face behind to huge paper, trying to shield her embarrassment of her obvious new-student aura. Then she realized, upon this close inspection, that the map was very confusing and near impossible to read. Someone must have taken creative license with the design of this map, just like with the wacky designs of the rest of the school.<p>

Her first class was Stage Acting with a Mr. Erwin Sikowitz, according to her schedule, but it was nearly impossible to find it on the map.

School was going to start soon and the halls were bustling with students. Students were carrying things like chunky horns and stereos or silly props (one boy was dragging along a "YIELD" sign). The bulky luggage and packs of students made Laurel feel sort of squeezed a claustrophobic. She was never very good with crowds.

She agonized over picking someone from the crowd to show her to class. Why did she have to be so awkward? She felt her insides tighten and lowered the map infinitesimally. But suddenly, like a ray of sunshine and the singing of angels, her prayers were answered.

"Hey, do you need help?" a girl's voice asked. Laurel spun around to see a pretty Latina girl with long, wavy brown hair approach her, looking concerned and sympathetic.

Laurel nodded vigorously, and said "Thank you," in a tiny, indistinguishable voice. She handed the girl her schedule and map. The girl smiled at her in a friendly way.

"Don't worry, I was new last year, too," she said kindly. "This place isn't as crazy as it looks."

As she said it, a boy on a unicycle wearing a frilly pink dress and licking a toothbrush-shaped lollipop cycled by. Laurel watched in confused horror.

"Well, you get the hang of it after a while, anyway," the girl continued, frowning after the pink unicyclist, mystified. "By the way, I'm Tori."

"I'm Laurel," she mumbled, but Tori didn't seemed to hear her. She was pulling up the big, crinkly map. She took one glance at it and then crumpled it up into a little ball. Laurel watched, scandalized.

"Trust me, the map of this school is _impossible. _You'll be better off just walking with people from your classes." Tori proceeded to scan Laurel's schedule, and Laurel watched apprehensively, trying to scoot out of the way of passing pedestrians.

"Hey," Tori exclaimed suddenly, elbowing Laurel lightly. "You have Sikowitz with me next!"

As she said it, too boys ambled up to them. It was a pale, bushy black-haired boy with thick-rimmed glasses and a puppet, followed by a black boy with a very chilled-out, calming aura and a keyboard tucked under his arm.

"Tori!" called the pale, glasses-boy. "Rex has been absolutely out of control today!" He said it in a helpless kind of way.

"He just made Cat cry," said the piano guy. "He sort of indirectly called her an airheaded, dyed-haired freak."

"Hey!" spouted the pale kid's puppet in a husky, voice. "I didn't say anything we weren't all thinking." The pale kid gazed at his own puppet in indignation and then beseeched Tori.

"Tell him he's being a huge jerk, Tori!"

Tori leaned down so that she was eye-level with the offending puppet.

"Listen up, Rex," Tori hissed.

"Come a little closer, babe," the puppet, "Rex" said. "I can't hear you too well from here." Tori smirked and leaned a little closer.

"If you keep being an obnoxious chizz-ball, no girls will wanna be within ten feet of you."

"Hah! Come on, girl, you don't know me like that. Just lean a little closer and you'll-" But suddenly Tori stuffed the crumpled map into Rex's mouth and all the could be heard was muffled obscenities.

Laurel, who had watched the entire conversation unsure if she had really woken up this morning at all and wasn't just having a nightmare of the impending dooms of her new school, watched as the glasses-boy crammed his puppet into his back. Meanwhile, Tori decided to introduce her friends.

"So this is Andre-" the guy with the piano nodded coolly at Laurel and grinned. She smiled shyly back. "-and this is Robbie."

Puppet-boy looked at her as if he hadn't noticed she was there and then beamed at her in an awkward, friendly kind of way. He had an air of insecurity and geekiness that took away from his manliness, but to Laurel, this was good. He was not intimidating in any sense of the word.

"They're in our next class, so we can all head over to Sikowitz's room together," Tori said. "And guys, this is a new girl. Her name's..." Tori stopped to think and then looked at Laurel. "Umm..."

"Laurel," Laurel choked out, still very pathetically. Tori, Andre and Robbie all leaned in to hear better, which, needless to say, was _highly_ embarrassing. "My name's Laurel."

"Ohh, right," Andre said, straightening up. "Her names Lauren."

"Okay, Lauren," Robbie said. "Let's go, you can sit with us in Sikowitz's class."

And with that they turned and headed down the hall, Tori motioning for Laurel to follow. Laurel turned pink and shouted after them (in her meek version of a shout, which is not too powerful).

"It's Laurel! With an 'L!' Laurel!" and with that she scurried after them, catching up andjoining their welcoming little group.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Hey guys. I hope you like, not much happened in the first chapter, and you guys really don't know much about Laurel, but don't worry, her character becomes a lot more clear next chapter. Thanks for reading! I know OC's can be kind of hit-or-miss and aren't a big thing with Victorious fics, but I promise you Laurel isn't just some 2-D Mary-Sue. Personally I'm a Cabbie fan myself, but I just love the freedom of original characters - they add a kind of new element of drama that you can't find in the show!

Anyway, thanks! Please review, reviews are what really make me love writing, even if they're bad :)


	2. Chapter 2

Sitowitz's classroom had a little stage at the front of it and a bunch of chairs seated in front of it in a haphazard manner. Laurel sat on the side next to Tori, Robbie and Andre sat on her other side talking animatedly, along with a very smiley girl with magenta hair that was talking Tori's ear off and what looked like a couple - a girl with black hair and blue streaks and a smug expression, wrapped up in the arm of a very handsome boy with dark hair. The other students sat slightly apart from this group.

Everyone sitting in room, waiting for class to begin, was wearing bright, stylish clothing. Laurel felt instantly under dressed amongst the designer jeans and vintage skirts. She was wearing just a red polo and dark jeggings (she was always most comfortable in leggings, as long as they were tasteful).

No one was really talking to or looking at Laurel, which, though a bit disconcerting, was probably less bothersome than if they were clamoring all over her. She didn't have big hair or expertly applied make up that these creative kids did - she was just a skinny, pale girl with thick, dark, coal-colored hair that just made her look paler and fell a few inches past her shoulders in a relaxed wave, with a swooping side fringe that was perfect for disguising her bright, chocolate eyes. She had high cheekbones and a small, slightly upturned nose.

Laurel's eyes roved over her schedule, her heart pounding painfully against her chest. Stage Acting... Singing... Orchestra... these classes popped out of the paper like exploding snaps, and made her feel queasy. Her regret mounted. Only the two remaining classes - Ballet and Creative Writing - could settle her. Two classes that didn't punt her into a world of impending terror.

Suddenly, she heard her name.

"And Cat, this is Laurel," said Tori, addressing the magenta-haired girl. "She's new here - hey, Laurel!" Laurel looked up in what she hoped was a cutely shy way. "This is one of my best friends, Cat."

Cat had big, round eyes that seemed to perpetually smile in themselves, without the hyper beam already on her lips. She seemed like the kind of person who is unnecessarily thrilled to meet new people.

"Hi, Laurel!" she chimed. She had a high, yet gentle voice. "I love flowers!" She gasped. "Maybe we'll be best friends!"

Tori and Laurel both said "Huh?" at the same time. Laurel hoped she didn't come off as rude.

"Where did flowers come from, Cat?" Tori asked.

"From seeds, silly!" Cat said happily.

"Uhm," Laurel said a little louder, "I think she was talking about my name. 'Laurel' is a name for a bunch of different types of flowers."

"Really?" asked Cat curiously. "Okay!" She smiled to herself. Laurel was left extremely confused.

"Uh... anyway..." said Tori, "They-" she indicated the couple, "-are Beck and Jade." Laurel assumed that Beck was the boy and Jade was the girl.

The two looked up, Jade curiously but not altogether kindly, and Beck with a slight wave and a "Hey." He was even more chilled out than Andre and exuded coolness.

Just then, the class was called to attention by a man standing up on the little stage. He had brown, raggedy hair and a grown beard, and was the least professional-looking teacher Laurel had ever met (although she hadn't met too many). He had the appearance of a homeless man.

"Alright, class," he boomed over the class, sounding a little like a grubby Emcee. "I am Mr. Sikowitz. And I only say that because five minutes ago, I was told that we have a new student. Alright, stand up here, introduce yourself..."

Laurel got to her feet hesitantly and walked slowly to the front of the class. "Uhm," she murmured, "I'm Laurel Ringer." She was all too aware that everyone in the room was watching her intently. There was a five second pause, and then...

"What?" Sikowitz said, a little rudely. "We need your _name_." So he hadn't heard her. Laurel's stomach clenched painfully and her heart sank. She did _not_ like public speaking. She took another stab at it, hoping her voice wouldn't shake.

"Laurel Ringer," she said a little louder.

The eyes of the class pierced her. Why, why, _why_ was she doing this? She knew she didn't belong here, in this school. She looked down at her hands, trying to avoid the stares of her classmates, but their expressions remained etched in her mind. Tori and Cat watched concernedly and apprehensively, Andre similarly, but in a less girly way. Beck looked uncomfortable for her, and Jade watched with intent interest. Robbie's eyes had locked onto hers with a curious sympathy. Something about the understanding in his expression stayed with Laurel like a flash behind her eyelids. There was more than pity... it was a little sad-looking. There was another little pause.

"Miss, if you're going to whisper in this class, you need to do so in a strong, sta-"

"My name's Laurel Ringer!" She almost shouted. She felt like crying. She _knew_ coming here was a bad idea. She wanted to just run from the classroom. She felt her hands shaking.

"Good projection!" Sikowitz said approvingly. "Perfect. Now, get back to your seat..." Laurel almost tripped off the stage in her haste, her face locked on her chair and trying not to see the rest of the class.

Sikowitz continued, "and we will return to our scene study from last class. Everyone, join your groups and look over your scripts-" A voice over the loudspeaker cut him off.

"Laurel Ringer, please report to the guidance office."

Perfect. That must have sealed the deal for the rest of the class - they all probably agreed that she was socially challenged. However, Laurel was glad to get out of the room and rose, again avoiding the rest of the class.

* * *

><p>Robbie got into his group with Tori and Beck. Tori was talking about that new girl, Laurel, in a kind of motherly, sad way.<p>

"Awww, I felt so bad!" she said, pulling out her script. Beck shrugged, his own script in hand, but replied.

"She doesn't seem like much of an actress," he said. "But that was pretty depressing."

"She's probably just inexperienced," Tori said, but Robbie knew she was just trying to be nice. Rex, from Robbie's hand, spoke up.

"She was prob'ly just nervous in front of me. I do that to chicks sometimes." Rex was ignored.

Robbie didn't bring up Laurel at all as he ran through lines with Tori and Beck. He privately agreed with Beck, though, that a girl so shy definitely _shouldn't_ be taking an acting class. But...

Robbie didn't want to say it out loud, but, seeing that girl up there, trying to hide from everyone's stares, really spoke to him. Inside, he felt a little depressed on her behalf. He knew what it was like to feel like an outsider, and he knew all-too well what it was like to try so hard to fit in.

Robbie rehearsed, trying to banish those feelings from his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey guys! Thanks for your reviews, very insightful :) Keep reviewing please ;)

Also, in response to some, I really wouldn't compare Laurel to any celebrities haha. One, I really never base my characters on real people (at least not physically), and two, I think that basing her on a famous person really contradicts her character. Laurel is really supposed to begin as that forgettable, insecure girl, but then "bloom" into her character (you know, dynamically). That's why I didn't say much about her in Ch. 1- I sort of wanted to illustrate the way she doesn't assert herself as a character (yet).

You guys probably still don't really get Laurel (she's basically just a weird girl at this stage in the game) but next chapter, you'll learn A LOT. Haha, LOTS of backstory next chapter, I promise! It also may not be too romantic yet but I like romances that grow as opposed to romances that always have been.


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